Michael Ynoa

Ynoa received much publicity when he signed with the A’s as a 16-year-old in 2008, and he drew comps to Felix Hernandez and Pedro Martinez. However, he has yet to crack the Double-A level through his ...

Ynoa, signed by the A's as a 16-year-old in 2008, has been oft injured and even when healthy, not particularly effective. He struggled in 2014 at High-A Stockton, allowing a 5.52 ERA over 45.2 innings despite a nasty 12.6 K/9. Ynoa's issues are still with control, as he allowed a 4.1 BB/9 and while that was down from his insane 7.3 BB/9 in a small sample in 2013, it is still way too high. Ynoa is now 23 years old with a 4.81 ERA over 161 minor league innings, and whatever huge hype he had as a teenager has dissipated rapidly due to injuries and performance. The strikeout rate alone will lead the A's to keep trying to develop him, but the chances that Ynoa becomes a star are pretty slim at this point.

2014

The A's signed Ynoa to a record signing bonus when he was 16 years old, and he proceeded to miss two entire seasons with arm issues in 2009 and 2011. Ynoa had his biggest workload in 2013, throwing 75.2 innings over 21 starts between Low-A and High A. He thrived at Low-A Beloit (2.14 ERA in 54.2 innings), but struggled with a 7.71 ERA over 21 innings upon his promotion to High-A Stockton. Even with the disappointing results after the promotion, Ynoa showed flashes of the talent the A's saw when they signed him by carrying a 8.6 K/9 in 2013, but his control issues (4.2 BB/9) need to be fixed if he is ever going to fulfill the hype that surrounded him when he was signed.

2009

Inoa is expected to pitch in the Arizona Rookie League at some point in 2009 after the A's won a well-publicized bidding war for the then 16-year-old's services. He didn't pitch at all last summer after signing, but has begun to throw for the A's at their academy down in the Dominican Republic. He's considered a once-in-a-decade talent, and the sky is considered the limit if he can stay healthy. The A's recent track record of developing pitching talent played a large role in Inoa's decision.